Active clinical trials for "Esophageal Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which regimen of combination chemotherapy is more effective in treating tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial studies how well oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, and fluorouracil work compared to irinotecan hydrochloride and docetaxel in treating patients with esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib hydrochloride when given together with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and radiation before surgery and alone after surgery in treating patients with locally advanced cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy together with erlotinib hydrochloride and radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving erlotinib hydrochloride after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery

This study is for patients with esophageal, esophagogastric, or gastric cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The purpose of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of a new experimental drug called ZD 1839 following initial therapy with two other chemotherapy drugs, called Irinotecan (CPT-11) and Cisplatin.

Surgery has been the standard of care for esophageal cancer for many years, with limited success. At present, several studies are underway nationwide which utilize chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy prior to the usual surgical regimen. Although this treatment offers some possibility for improvement of patients with esophageal cancer, there remains a significant need for development of new drugs that can substantially impact survival Investigators at the University of Michigan have been evaluating inhibitors of tumor blood vessel growth (angiogenesis). Specifically, they are evaluating the role of copper in angiogenesis. Copper has been shown to be both a requirement and a potent stimulus for angiogenesis. Previous studies have shown Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) to rapidly lower copper levels in the blood. The physicians at the University of Michigan are studying whether the addition of TM to the chemoradiation and surgery may increase survival for patients with esophageal cancer.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of epoetin alfa versus placebo in reducing or preventing the need for transfusions in anemic patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, and to investigate possible quality-of-life benefits associated with the use of epoetin alfa. Epoetin alfa is a genetically engineered protein that stimulates red blood cell production.

To determine the most efficacious of two combination regimens of sequential CPT-11 and MMC in patients with advanced and previously untreated esophageal and GE junction adenocarcinomas.

RATIONALE: Analgesics, antiemetics, steroids, and radiation therapy are effective in helping to control symptoms caused by cancer. It is not yet known whether these treatments are more effective when given with or without docetaxel in treating patients with relapsed esophageal cancer or stomach cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying symptom control given together with docetaxel to see how well it works compared with symptom control given without docetaxel in treating patients with relapsed esophageal cancer or stomach cancer.

The purpose of this study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BMS-833923 administered in combination with Cisplatin and Capecitabine as first-line therapy in subjects with inoperable metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal or esophageal adenocarcinomas.

The purpose of this study is to compare the results of preoperative chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgery to surgery followed by postoperative chemotherapy and radiation for esophageal cancer.

This is a phase 1 study of multiple peptide vaccine therapy and GM-CSF in treating patients with esophageal cancer.